Forgotten
by Clover-Ice91869
Summary: Have you ever felt misunderstood, or struggled with who you are? A young woman named Rachel can relate strongly to those feelings. She may not be a very famous fairy tail character like some members of Storybrooke, but she knows she can prove that she is just as important. Our story begins as we follow her throughout the series, taking it on from another's point of view...
1. Chapter 1

**Hello ! **

**Just to clarify, this story is probably unlike many you've seen before. It takes place around the beginning of the second season, just a few weeks after StoryBrooke's members are relieved of the curse. It follows the life of Rachel- Rainy in the Enchanted Forest- as she experiences all that happens as the show progresses. She is ****not ****an actual character in the show, but the story gives you all an insight on someone I find quite relatable; a young woman who struggles with discovering herself, and her role in a complicated society. *****

"That'll be 31.80$, Rach."

Belle smiled warmly as she placed all twelve of Rachel's books in a large paper grocery bag. Rachel glanced at her hands, as they rested on the check-out counter in front of her. The library was empty; silent and cool as if it were haunted by unknown ghosts. She knew if it weren't for Mr. Gold, Belle would be out of business. Other than Henry, Rachel was the only frequent visitor. Rachel sighed and reached down into her brown satchel. She fingered around for her wallet, and, managing to fish it out, handed Belle 32 dollars.

"Keep the change." She said quietly, in the same whispery sweet voice she had always spoken in. Belle looked on at her for a moment, and then just smiled. She shook her head scornfully.

"Oh, sweetheart, you are just too kind for your own good, aren't you?" She smiled as she spoke, and Rachel forced herself to smile back. If anyone was too kind, it was Belle. She'd been Rachel's friend back in the Enchanted Forest for as long as she could remember. She was the only girl to ever pay any attention to quiet little Rainy; the name Rachel went by in her homeland.

"I guess you could say something like that," she breathed "but I think I'm just a bit too… _introverted_." It was true. Rachel was many good things. She was kind, relatively pretty, smart, and very apologetic. But after these good traits, followed many flaws. She was quiet, awkward, clumsy, and perhaps a bit _too_ apologetic. She knew this well. As a child, her weaknesses had been pointed out and made fun of until she didn't know who she was anymore. Those days were behind her, however, and she knew now what she was; a simple young woman who had a lot of weekend reading to do. She smiled at Belle, gathered her rather heavy bag, and headed for the door.

"Oh!" Belles voiced made Rachel whip around. "Don't forget never to read and walk at the same time!" Rachel laughed. She nodded once more and headed out into the cold streets.

Usually, Storybrooke's roads were crowded with people coming and going, saying hello to one another and stopping to talk. Now it may as well been a ghost town. She closed her eyes as she walked slowly, recalling each of the twelve books she had just purchased. Now let's see, in the big list of books she had bought there was; _Jays calling, Last Winter, Well Done, Bravo, I.F.Y.R, To See You Again, Ivory Street, No-one, Learning to Garden When You Have No Idea How, Northwind, My Turn, Revenge: Book 5, _and- most embarrassingly- _How to Get a Man in 15 days. _

Rachel opened her blue-brown eyes. That was all of them. A knife of guilt pricked her heart. She'd stolen_ I.F.Y.R _from the library, and hadn't told Belle about the extra purchase. Worst of all, it was in the 'not-for-sale' section. The title page was black, and there was no description on the back. Something about the old book had simply intrigued her.

She suddenly realized just how much she'd been wanting to read the fifth book of _Revenge._ She bit her bottom lip, trying to resist the temptation, but found herself giving in anyway.Without breaking stride, she grabbed out the thick hardcopy book from the middle of her neat stack and rested the book in one hand, holding her baggage in the other. She took a deep breath, and opened to chapter one.

_There was no turning back now. If I wanted to kill the maid who had viscously murdered my father, now was the time to do it. I fumbled with the blade of the long machete with my forefinger, and felt my heartbeat increase. I couldn't do this! I was not a murderer. But this woman had ended the life of my loving father… she deserved what was coming to her. It was now or never. Of all the times to get the jitters, now was the worst of all. I lifted the weapon above her, as she slept on the couch. I popped my neck, closed my eyes, and-_

Rachel was immediately cut off from her reading. She had bumped into someone while she was looking down at her beloved book, and she was so startled, her bag of books came tumbling onto the ground. She closed her eyes and placed her hand against her temple.

"_Shoot!" _She hissed. Then her eyes popped open and she realized it was her fault the accident had happened. She didn't look up, but began apologizing profoundly.

"I am _so _sorry!" She shook her head frantically, and dropped into a crouch to start retrieving the fallen stories. Just her luck, the bag was swept away by the wind the moment it was relieved of its contents. She brushed her light brown hair out of her eyes and started stacking her books into a tall pile. She glanced up for just a moment, and realized that the victim of her careless reading/walking was crouched down as well, handing her books from the ground. She looked up some more to meet the eyes of Archie Hopper, the town therapist. She smiled politely, and stood up once she had all of her books gathered.

"Sorry, I promised myself I wouldn't walk and read at the same time today, but apparently, I lied." Rachel noted as she stood, the red rushing to her cheeks. Why was she constantly so clumsy? Archie smiled and stood up as well.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," he said, "but I didn't know you had such a love of books." Rachel laughed, feeling slightly better about the mishap.

"Well, Belle isn't the only person in this town with an affinity for reading," She rambled, "Besides, I only ever spend my time with Snow and Emma, and since they've been sucked into a magical portal, I thought I'd get some reading done- oh, um..." She stopped and frowned as she noticed another of her books still on the ground behind Archie. He must have noticed too, because the moment she bent over to reach for it, he leaned down as well.

When two people accidentally bump heads, the result is not very pleasant. They both pulled their hands to their head, and winced in pain. By the time they'd recovered, Archie was already retrieving the book again. Rachel sighed.

"Sorry, and thanks." She muttered. Then her eyes flickered to Pongo, the black spotted dog that belonged to Archie. A grin swept across her face. She suddenly went back into her crouch, and began petting the dog, laughing as he licked her face. Archie was by her again in a moment, but he was busy looking at her book. She turned to him. He looked up and met her eyes, and she was nervous to find his warm gaze filled with slight amusement.

"How to Get a Man in 15 Days?" He said as he held out the book. Rachels face grew about 10 times hotter. She took the book and shoved it to the bottom of the stack.

"It's, um, for my niece.." She lied, unable to meet his eyes again. They both stood up. She struggled to hold all twelve of her thick novels, as well as returning her face to its normal shade of, well, pale. Archie held out a hand.

"Need some help with those?" He asked kindly. Rachel shook her head. The last thing she needed was some more embarrassment.

"Sorry again, Dr. Hopper." She managed to say, "It was nice speaking with you." Then, without another word, she continued her walk home. She only raised a finger in acknowledgement when he called out behind her,

"You know, you can just call me Archie!"

She collapsed onto her bed at home and slammed her eyes shut. In a few hours, she would have to drive Henry to his weekly therapy session, while Regina was typing something for her work. _Way to make things awkward between you and his instructor,_ she scolded herself. Oh well. She knew there were more important things to do. She stood up, set her books aside, and ran towards her bucket of secret things. She pulled out a bow and arrow, water canteen, and a map of Storybrooke's forest. She grabbed a pencil and a few sheets of parchment on her way out the door.

_No reason for self-shame right now, Rainy, _she thought,_ it's time to make some magic._


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel took a giant leap off the fourth and top step of her front porch, all the way to the ground below. She landed elegantly, as if she had never once tripped or stumbled before. Without breaking a stride, she sprinted across the road into the woods, a smile leaping across her face as she felt the breeze pick up, blowing her hair into a frenzy behind her head. She bounded out into the forest, perfectly fine with leaving civilization behind her. In her head she could almost hear the song 'Touch the Sky' playing, and felt as though she was the main character in an overly dramatic movie. She didn't stop running and grinning until she reached the wide river that marked StoryBrooke's forest boundary.

Her breath heaved, and she looked around, feeling safe and protected by the evergreens that surrounded her. She had to drive Henry to his therapy lesson in an hour, which gave her plenty of time to practice her hobbies. She dropped her arrows on the ground and bent down to pick up a couple. Setting down her old army bag, which held the rest of her supplies, she fastened the arrow into its bow.

_Deep breath, Rainy. Deep breath. _She pulled her bow string back, focused on a soft looking spot on a tree, and released.

The arrow did in fact score a tree, but it was not the one intended. Rachel lowered the bow and sighed.

"I suppose learning to shoot this thing is going to be harder than expected." She muttered to herself. She attempted a few more shots with her remaining arrows, but none of them hit what it had been aimed at. She tossed all of her weapon related items into the army bag, and took a deep breath. A hollow feeling seeped into her heart. How come she'd never read about herself in any story books here on Earth? Snow and Charming had their own, and so did Belle, Archie, Gold, Cinderella, Ruby, and so on. Was Rachel really not important enough to have her own fairy tale? She laughed at herself for even having to question it.

_Of course your not, Rainy, _she thought to herself, _you have never found 'true love' you've never slain a dragon, and you've never saved any one from some wretched curse._

The hollow spot in her soul grew. No, she mustn't think any more about these kinds of things; it would only make her feel more useless than she did already.

She picked up a sheet of parchment from her bag and her only pencil. It was her most prized possession, and she never drew a single line without it. There was nothing she'd trade for it in the world. Funny, isn't it? Sentiment can be so very pointless.

She settled herself down in a hollow log, and looked out across a barren field in front of her. Her gaze travelled across the scene slowly, until she spotted something that caught her attention. A young deer was straying across the tall-grassed area. She immediately got to work sketching the young beast. As she worked, many thoughts crossed her mind.

She began to recall her life before the curse. She'd lived with her mother, father, and older sister for most of her young life. They were a small family, with a small amount of money, but they made do. One day, as her mother went out to the market, a group of soldiers arrived at her house. They demanded her father join the Queens army, and decided to take her older sister along as well. Rachel's eyes filled with tears as she remembered grabbing for her sisters hands, screeching as half her family was torn away from her. The soldiers tossed Rachel into the corner of the house and told her that she was disrupting the Queens orders.

Then they left.

Her mother came home a half an hour later, to find her youngest daughter crouched in the corner of their cottage, sobbing uncontrollably, only half conscious. Her mother wept as she realized what had happened, and ran outside, hoping to catch up with the soldiers and demand her husband and daughter back. Rachel never heard from her mother again.

So she was left alone, only seven years of age, to care for herself in a tiny cottage with no friends, and no hope for a better future. It wasn't until she was 17 that she met Belle. Belle was the best friend any girl could wish for. She was kind, understanding, and accepted you for who you were. She was, however, training to be the next queen. And by the time both were 25 years old, Belle was sent away to work for Rumpelstiltskin. Rachel had spent her teenager years stealing from the rich, and giving to no one but herself. She'd pay the price of any magic to change her unfortunate youth, but she knew she had nothing to give, and no loved ones to sacrifice.

_Magic._

The substance that intrigued Rachel more than anything. She had made a promise to herself when she was a child that she would teach herself magic, but soon realized that it was not quite that easy. Anyway, Rachel blew the eraser marks off of her paper, and examined her final sketch. The pencil-made deer looked at her from the sheet, and she smiled. He was perfect. She laughed and looked up to the cloudless sky above her.

_If only there was a way to stop time, _she thought, _and just enjoy the beauty of life._

Time! She'd completely forgotten! She looked down at her wrist watch and gasped. It was 5:50. She had to get home and change in 10 minutes to drive Henry to his session! She threw her picture in her green bag and tossed it over her back. As she ran, she thought she saw something slip from the bag. Rachel shook her head frantically, deciding it was her imagination, and raced herself back to the house.

She waved to Granny and Ruby as she passed their diner, and dashed up her front steps, not expecting to fall face first on her brick staircase. She laid there for a moment, and then got to her feet. Her hand flew to her face, which seemed to have a deep cut on her right cheekbone.

"Good job, Rach. Now you've accomplished the skilled task of screwing up your face." She scolded herself.

The mirror reflection of her injury looked even worse than it felt. A deep gash was positioned right on her right upper cheek. She washed off the blood, and threw off her clothing. She pulled out a red plaid shirt, - her favorite- a pair of dark blue jeans, some combat boots, and a black beanie. She observed her freshly changed outfit.

"Cute… If your 16." She remarked to her mirror. "Ever thought of dressing a little more, you know, 27-ish? After all, that is your age." Rachel felt as though half her life was over already. She knew she looked 25, but inside she felt 45. But there was no time to think about that now. The clock was at 5:58, and she had no time to spare. She grabbed a book to read while she waited for Henrys lesson to end, and headed out the door.

As she pulled over to David's house, where Henry was currently staying, he hopped in the car.

"Why are you late?" He questioned as he buckled up next to Rachel.

"Just some… issues with my heating system." Rachel noted as she drove off towards Archie's office building. "Is that a burn on your arm?"

Henry covered his arm with his other hand quickly. Then he looked up at her and winced.

"Is your cheek okay?"

"It's fine."

"It looks painful."

"Its _fine_, Henry." She snapped, and immediately regretted it. "Hey, kid, I'm sorry. It's been a tense day, you know?" She said quietly. Henry nodded.

"I get it."

She walked Henry up to Archie's door and waited as he knocked. The door opened and Dr. Hopper greeted them. Rachel smiled kindly and nudged Henry inside.

"I'll wait out here, kid." She said, and turned to leave. Then Archie interrupted her.

"Is your cheek...?" Then Rachel's temper finally snapped, and got the best of her.

"Cut? Bleeding? Yeah, it is. I didn't just put some ketchup on my face for easy french-fry access." She snapped. Then her blood ran cold. Had she just said that? Henry was staring up at her, surprise in his eyes. She felt even worse when she saw that Archie looked more hurt than shocked.

"I- I was going to say, 'is your cheek okay?'" He said softly. Rachel nodded slightly, and turned, to wait outside on the bench. Once there, she opened up her book- called _Well Done_\- and read in cold silence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Greetings!**

**Today's chapter takes place the next day, after Emma and Mary have arrived, in the episode "The Cricket Game". It repeats many of the same scenes, but with Rachel involved, so consider it a refresher to past seasons.**

**Enjoy!**

Rachel carefully pressed the lipstick across here upper lip, and pressed them both together. She did not wear much make up on a regular basis, but tonight was different. Emma and Mary Margaret had finally made it home, and a celebration at Granny's was taking place soon. Rachel smiled. Her face looked soft and warm; pretty, even. Her large eyes were rimmed with black, and a rosy pink tint was dusted onto her cheeks. The cut from the day before was mostly healed, and covered by layers of makeup anyway.

She straightened her deep green dress with her left hand. With her right she pulled her brown hair over one shoulder. Grabbing the brown purse that she'd sat by her front door, she headed into town. The trees and buildings flowed past her car window in a thick blur. After parking her car in the small alleyway parking lot beside the small diner, she let out a breath and walked inside. Granny's Bed and Breakfast was crowded with people all awaiting Mary and Emma's return. All seven of the dwarves were drinking and laughing,- except for maybe Grumpy- Ruby was preparing the buffet, Granny was watching on calmly, and Archie was speaking with Marco by the booths. Rachel made her way to Ruby, trying not to feel the guilt that was making its way inside her, from being so rude to Archie the night before.

"Hey, Ruby," Rachel said, "It's good to see you."

Ruby let out a half laugh. "Wow, you really are too proper sometimes! I mean, there's got to be more to your personality than just a calm innocent girl, right?" She smiled and handed Rachel a cup of something on the rocks.

"Oh, I don't really like drinking alcohol, it's too… ick." Rachel said, trying to sound less 'proper'.

Ruby only shrugged and gave her a Sprite instead. Suddenly, the door creaked open. Mary came in, followed by Emma and David, and everyone cheered. Rachel let a genuine smile slip onto her face as she greeted them. Beside her, Archie gave Mary a welcoming hug. Rachel was surprised to find her jaw clench slightly at that. She shook it off, however, and stood in the circle as David gave a "welcome back" speech. When that was done, she lifted her Sprite in a toast and laughed at nothing in particular. Then all the clamor stopped when Regina walked in.

"I-I'm sorry I'm late…" She stuttered. No one said anything.

Rachel personally thought it was silly that everyone hated her so much. I mean, people make mistakes, right? But perhaps she only felt that way because no loved ones had been taken from her when the curse was set. Anyway, the party continued. She soon found herself with no one to talk to, until she noticed Emma speaking with Archie a few steps away.

"Emma! I'm _so_ glad you've made it back!" She declared, meeting up with the two. Emma smiled, and gave her a large hug, returning the vibe of kindness. Then Rachel looked back over to Archie.

"Ah, Rachel, you look nice." He commented. Rachel laughed a little and looked down, flattered by the simple remark. Then she turned her gaze back up.

"How have you two been? I mean, other than you, Emma, being sucked into a magical portal that led to another world." She asked, making friendly conversation. Emma was about to respond, when she seemed to take notice of something behind Rachel. Rachel turned around; Regina was leaving silently. Emma sighed.

"I'll go see what's up." She muttered.

And so she left Rachel alone with Archie. Rachel knew that if she didn't say something now, what had happened the day before would be on her mind forever.

"I am _truly_ sorry about yesterday, Dr. Hopper," She said quickly, using his professional name. "I just don't know what came over me… please forgive me." She finally met his eyes, hoping for some sign that he would do that. He shook his head calmly.

"There's no reason for you to apologize, Rachel. Stress can happen to the best of us." Rachel felt herself flood with relief.

"I know, I guess it just helps to clear my conscience." She laughed. So did he. She looked at him for a moment, and then looked away and sighed.

"I guess I'll go talk to Ruby." She said, quiet again, "Thanks for understanding."

The morning after the next, she awoke late. She was greeted by a text from Ruby. _Please come over to the diner, I need your help with the broiler. _Rachel cocked and eyebrow. She had no experience fixing broilers, so why did Ruby need her help? She shrugged it off, however, and threw on a coat. As she arrived at the bakery, she was greeted by a frantic Little Red Riding Hood.

"Rachel, I think something's wrong." She sounded worried. Rachel stepped back.

"You mean with your broiler? Yeah that's why I-" Ruby cut her off with the wave of her hand.

"I lied about the broiler… the truth is, I think something's happened to Archie." Rachel froze up.

"What… what happened?"

"I don't know, but I saw Regina arguing with him yesterday morning, and I noticed her outside of his house late last night." She breathed. "I haven't seen him since."

Rachel turned towards the door. She noticed a few figures on the other side of the window.

"Is that Emma outside? Henrys there too and… and so is Pongo" She felt her heart drop. That dog never left Archie's side. She followed Ruby outside, and watched as she listened to the dog barking. Emma sent Henry off to school, sounding concerned.

"Something's definitely wrong." She said. Just then, the dog bolted off towards Archie's office building. All three woman ran after, and Rachel's heart fell even further into her chest when she realized that this office door was open.

_Oh God. Oh God, please no._

Her mind was racing as Emma pushed the door all the way open and led the girls inside.

"_No." _Rachel breathed. Archie lay on the floor by the filing cabinets, not moving. Emma reached forward and checked his pulse. She didn't say a word, but she didn't have to. Rachel knew what this meant. Archie was dead.

A cold feeling seeped into Rachel's heart. Whatever happened, she knew one thing; she was going to get revenge. Then it struck her.

"I think I know who did this."

Later, at Regina's office, Rachel's anger grew. Regina continuously denied murdering Archie.

"Oh please, _your highness,_ we all know that you did this." Rachel sneered, leaning over her desk. "Go on and admit it so we throw your ass in jail. Or worse." Emma grabbed Rachel's shoulder.

"I know you're upset, but this is no time to make threats." She reasoned. Rachel let out a heavy sigh. She knew she was right. They asked Regina to excuse them, and headed out into the hallway.

"We have to let her go." Emma said stubbornly. Rachel gasped.

"Are you crazy? After what she did?" Emma shook her head.

"I'm telling you, she didn't do it."

Rachel didn't want to believe this. She thought she could trust Emma, but her friend seemed to be invested in the wrong side of the case. After a while, it seemed apparent that there was no changing Emma's mind.

"So that's it then?" She muttered, defeated, "We just let her go."

"Yes, please trust me."

Rachel stood there for a moment, before turning around and walking straight home.

Later that night, she received a text from David.

'_I'm sorry. We looked in his apartment and found Regina's files missing. We tried to get her to confess to the crime at her house, but she used magic to disappear. She could be anywhere now… Ill update you if something changes.'_

So that was that. Archie was dead and a murderer was on the loose. She scoffed. She used to not understand why everyone disliked Regina so much. Now it made perfect sense. She was a cold blooded creature with no human decency. Rachel laid back in her bed and closed her weary eyes.

_So much for some weekend reading._


	4. Chapter 4

"Some of us knew him as Archie. Others as Jiminy. But we all knew him as a true friend. And though he may now be gone, he will always live on inside of us. Reminding us to be our best selves… to do the right thing, to always fight for what we believe in. So we shouldn't think of today as good-bye. Just as a way of saying, 'Archie, we'll be listening.'"

Snow turned and collided with David in a hug as she concluded her speech. Rachel stared ahead blindly as Marco bent over at the tomb and said a few words. Her heart was aching, just as it had when she first saw his body laying limp on the ground. She took in a sharp breath. Thinking about how they found him, or how he was killed would not ease her suffering. And, according to herself, neither would going and saying her personal goodbyes. As if he could read her thoughts, Henry spoke up behind her.

"Don't you want to go say something?" He asked hopefully.

_What difference does it make, _She thought, _He's dead, he can't hear me anyway._

But Henry was counting on her to be strong. He was counting on everyone to. If she showed any sign that things weren't going to be alright… she knew personally what a tragedy can do to a child when he or she is left without proper comfort. So she nodded.

"Of course."

She slowly and carefully treaded to the coffin, doing her best not to give into her clumsiness and trip. She crouched down and placed her hand on the top of the tomb.

"Hey Archie." She began, "So I guess… I guess you're dead then, huh?" She let out an empty laugh. "Oh God. This isn't how things were ever supposed to be. No one was supposed to die. Not you, not like this. You were the conscience of Storybrooke. You were the only person who could help when no one else would… when no one else could. We all love you, Jiminy. We're all going to miss you. I'm going to miss you."

She closed her eyes for just a moment as she stood up. Then she turned and, without a word to anyone, walked home.

Later, in her small, neatly furnished bathroom, Rachel's black eye shadow, eye liner, and mascara streamed down her face. She looked tired without her makeup, and felt similarly. The sink streamed a smooth flow of water, washing away the layers of black she'd applied to her face earlier that morning. She pulled off the dark dress she'd put on the same morning, and replaced it with a black and white long sleeved sweater, black leggings, dark grey gloves, and black converse. Her outfit still looked like it was set for a funeral, only less formal. She sighed. She hadn't even meant to put on such dreary attire.

Then an idea struck her mind. She knew how to feel a bit better. Her hand reached into the pile of books she'd bought last week, and pulled out the most mysterious of all; I.F.Y.R. The book she'd stolen- no, _borrowed_\- from the forbidden section of Belle's library. After taking a deep breath, Rachel trudged outside, towards Granny's inn. Her favorite bench sat empty a few blocks down. She loved that bench, because it was always in the right place. During the summer, it carried just enough shade, and during the winter, the sun shined right down on it. Right now it was early winter, but the spot was covered by a heavy shade. Even the bench seemed to know that things were depressing. She sat down and opened the book. The first thing she noticed was that the book had no chapters. It was all one long story. She leaned in a little to see better, and started reading.

_Hello Rachel._

Rachel's eyes widened. Okay, that was weird. She kept reading.

_I'm aware that you've finally found my little book. Ah, it's quite an intriguing book, no? I like how it's black. Gives off an essence of… death. Any who, I do believe I've discovered something that will prove to be incredibly beneficial to humanity in all lands; a way to learn magic without the help of an instructor, other than me of course._

Rachel's jaw slipped open. That was impossible. No one could learn magic simply by a book, with no help from a real life magician.

_The only way to accomplish this is by a curse. You must retrieve three things that I request and give them to me (my location will be provided later). It's a simple task really. So, are you ready to begin? Good. The first thing you must find for me is-_

**Beep. Beep.** Rachel groaned as her cell phone interrupted her deep reading. She pulled it out of her back pocket and turned it on.

_Rachel, u r not going to believe this. ~Emma._

Rachel scoffed. She wasn't exactly in the 'guess what' mood. Then she glanced up from her phone for just a moment. Down the block, a living, breathing Archie was walking towards her. She felt herself stop. Stop everything. Her book slipped right out from her hands. She knew her eyes must look as large as the moon. Her jaw clenched. She rose, slowly, trying to make sense of this.

"Oh my God. Archie?" She whispered.

He looked over towards her, a few yards away, and a smile formed on his face. She let in her first breath since she started reading the book. It really was him. She took a step towards him, still shocked. Then another, and another, until she was sprinting at him, full speed.

She didn't hesitate to throw her arms around his neck when she collided with him. He was alive!

"I can't believe this! How- how are you _alive?_" She asked, reality suddenly striking her. She took a step back. "You are dead, I saw your body. I went to your funeral." He shook his head, still smiling.

"No, I didn't die, Cora kidnapped me, but I'm okay now." He said, still holding her shoulders. Rachel laughed, and the first real grin she'd had in days formed on her face.

"I'm so happy! Come on, you can tell me about it at lunch." She grabbed his arm and began walking towards Granny's. He followed her.

"Were going to lunch?"

"We are now!"

"So who all knows about this?" Rachel asked, once they'd found a booth at the diner. The shop was empty.

"Emma, Henry, Ruby, Granny, and now you." He said. "I went here first, and then headed over to tell Henry and Emma." Rachel frowned, slightly upset that he hadn't thought about going to her. But it didn't last long.

"So what exactly happened?" She finally asked.

"Cora came to my office disguised as Regina. She kidnapped me, and held me in her ship's cellar until…" He trailed off. Rachel leaned in.

"Until what?"

"Until Hook came and threatened me until I gave him the information he wanted."

Rachel's napkin somehow found its way into her hands, which were resting on the table in front of her. She carefully began picking it apart, a habit shed obtained at young age.

"What… what did he say to threaten you..?" She asked coldly, the icy feeling returning to her heart. He sighed.

"It doesn't matter. I'm okay now, Rachel. Are you?" Rachel ignored the last question.

"It _is_ important. You're my friend, Archie. We all thought Regina killed you. I- we were devastated." Her hands a sped up in tearing apart the napkin. "If he said something that was… was _wrong_ then I swear… I- I" Archie reached his hand out over the table and placed it on her own. She stared at the napkin, which might as well have been a pile of shredded cotton at this point. She knew she had to calm down.

"I'm sorry. I just can't stand the thought of someone doing something so cruel to someone else." He nodded and pulled his hand back. Rachel put the napkin-if you could still call it that- into her pocket, seriously wishing she hadn't removed all of her make up.

"So how are those books of yours?" Archie asked, tilting his head. Rachel smiled, happy to change the conversation.

"Well I've started three of them so far, and one of them I was just reading today- oh _shit._"

Rachel lifted her hand to her head. Archie raised his eyebrows.

"What? What's going on?"

"My book, I left it by the bench. I gotta go, sorry!" She exclaimed as she grabbed her gloves from the table and rushed out of the diner.

The bench was growing nearer and nearer into her sight, as she raced down the street. She finally reached it and, panting, looked on the ground around it. She moved aside any fallen leaves, but it was all for nothing.

The book was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

"Wha ya mean yor goin do New ork?" Rachel mumbled through a mouthful of waffles. Emma raised an eyebrow. Rachel swallowed and tried again.

"What do you mean you're going to New York?" She couldn't believe the news that Emma had just released on her. According to her friend, Henry, Mr. Gold, and she would be leaving in the morning for New York State.

"Look, I just want you to help David with Sheriff duties while I'm gone." Emma reasoned, "I'll be back soon, as long as we find Gold's son quickly."

It wasn't the matter of finding his son that worried Rachel; Emma was trained to do just that. No, what really had Rachel on end was something else.

"Emma, you know that anyone who crosses the town line will lose their memory, right?"

"It's okay, I wasn't born in Storybrooke, and Henrys a child so it won't affect him."

"And Gold?" Now it was Rachel's turn to raise an eyebrow. Emma hesitated.

"He says he can use his prized scarf as a talisman, and it'll protect him from the spell."

Rachel laughed. That sounded like a load of crap to her. Then she straightened up. "Um, Emma," She asked. "Is it true that Belle lost her memory from falling over the town line?" Emma looked down.

"Yup. Hooks the one to blame." She muttered. Rachel gasped.

"Hadn't he done enough damage by hurting Archie?" She grumbled, shaking her head. "I mean, how much pain does he have to cause before he's satisfied?" She looked over at Emma. Her friend was looking out at nothing, avoiding Rachel's eyes.

"Er, Emma? Is something wrong?" Emma turned to meet her gaze.

"No, it's just that I thought you would be over the Archie thing by now." She sounded concerned. Rachel could not believe what she was hearing.

"Of course I'm not over it! You don't just forgive someone for something like that!" She exclaimed.

"Rachel, you need to realize that Archie has responsibilities, in this world and the other. He just doesn't need to be distracted by a relationship." Rachel's jaw dropped.

"_Seriously!?_ Is _that _what this is about? I do not have feelings for Archie!" Emma shrugged, apparently unconvinced. Rachel frowned, frustrated that she didn't know how to change the saviors mind. But Emma didn't give her the chance, because without a word, she stood up and left. Rachel stared after her. That was most definitely not the Emma she knew. Ruby's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey girl, can I get you a drink of some sort?" She asked. Rachel shook her head.

"I told you already, I don't drink." She muttered. Ruby shrugged. She turned for a moment, before turning back.

"You know, you always act so lonely. Hey, I know, I'll set you up with a date!" Rachel almost fell out of her chair.

"No! I mean, Ruby that's a nice thought, but I don't want to be in a relationship right now. Or ever." She said. She never had any luck with boys, and that probably wasn't about to change.

"Oh come on! You're so sweet, and pretty, and nice. Surely you want a boyfriend?" Ruby persisted, to Rachel's distraught. Then she laughed a little.

"You know what ruby? I think I'll have that beer."

Of all the things she'd tasted in her life, beer was most definitely the worst. But she drank it all, determined to get what she'd paid for. After her thoughts were clouded by a thin haze, she said goodbye to Ruby, and headed home. On the way there, her mind began to wander.

_Now, about my book. I have to find it, I really do. A way to use magic without a proper instructor? I've just got to get the three things the author needs, and set that curse! Because once I have magic… anything is possible. But who would possibly steal my book? Who would have any interest on a random antique book with no owner? Oh wait a minute._

_Mr. Gold._

Rachel stopped where she was and peered down the street. Mr. Gold's Pawn shop was just down the road. She started out walking slowly, and then swiftly, then jogging, then sprinting to find her book. She threw the door open, and slammed it behind her. The shop was filled with dust collectors from years past, each one holding its own story. But there was only one story here she was interested in.

"Gold!" She yelled. "Where is my book? I know you have it, so give it up!" She was infuriated that he would take it, even though it was not really against his nature to do so.

"Ah, Mrs. North. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Mr. Gold strode smoothly out of the back door of his shop, towards the young woman. She frowned. No one ever used her last name.

"It's not a pleasure, Gold." She growled, "Where is the book I lost?" Rachel rarely ever raised her voice for any occasion, but know there was an exception. He smiled and tilted his head slightly.

"I don't know anything about a book, dearie." Rachel took a step closer to him.

"Oh, drop the dumb act, Rumple, I know you have it. Give it to me or I swear-" He waved his hand, cutting off her threat.

"You'll what? Read me to death?" He grunted, "You're not exactly intimidating, Mr. North." He sighed and reached for a cabinet. "But I will give you the requested book. It blank anyway, it's of no real use to me." He handed her the book, and she snatched it out of his hands. She didn't know what he meant by 'blank', but she'd find out when she got home. She nodded to him.

"Thank you for your time." She muttered and stalked back to her house.

In her living room, she opened the book to page one, the page she'd been on when Emma had texted her a week ago. She was utterly confused. The words were right there, same as always, so why did Mr. Gold insist that it was blank? Perhaps he was lying or something. Shrugging it off, she picked up where she left off.

_The first thing you must find for me is a strength potion. It will give the consumer endless physical power throughout their lifetime. My intentions for this are none of your business, Rachel._

A chill went through Rachel's back; the author had answered the question going through her mind and mentioned her name again in the same sentence. This was one screwed up book.

_Anyway, the second thing you must retrieve is a scroll that has an inscription in a foreign language on it. It is hidden somewhere deep in the mines of Storybrooke. Last of all, bring me your most prized possession. It must have a strong sentimental value. That is the only way I'll accept it, and you'll leave my dwellings with your limbs intact. Bring these things to the darkest part of the woods, on the darkest night of the month. See you there._

_Xoxo_

Rachel stared at the black book. This wasn't right. Something about this mysterious book just wasn't adding up. She shook her head to herself. If she could find out who wrote it, she could track down the person and get to the bottom of this. Every book in Belles library was written by members of Storybrooke, because of the town's lack of imports. That meant that whoever was requesting the strange items lived here in Storybrooke. She would find that person and demand that he explain his reasoning's. Then a better idea hit her. Instead, she would simply find the items, bring them to the author, and discover his identity then. That way, she got the magic and solved the mystery.

Then, there was a loud knock at her front door. She closed the book and stuffed it under a pillow on her mini sofa.

"Come in!" She called nervously. Emma opened the door and walked inside. Rachel stood up. Emma was the last person she had expected.

"Can I help you?" She inquired. Emma sighed.

"I'm sorry Rachel. I have no right to tell you how to live your life, and I know it. I mean, of all people, I should have the least right to judge someone's love life." Rachel was so shocked, she almost laughed.

"Emma, I already told you. I don't like Archie! I mean, he's sweet and all but… I just really do not need a relationship right now." She crossed her arms. Emma seemed genuinely relieved.

"Oh thank goodness! You're my friend Rachel, I just didn't want you getting hurt. I should've known that you'd know better than to fall in love with a cricket." Rachel found herself getting slightly defensive.

"Well, he wasn't always a cricket. And he is a human now…" She trailed off. "But you're right, he has no room in his life for a relationship, and I feel exactly the same." Emma smiled, sympathetic.

"I've got to get home, but I'll see you when I get back." Rachel nodded as she left. She felt empty suddenly. As if something had just knocked the wind out of her.

_I don't have time for emotion right now, _she thought, looking back at the pillow on her bed, _I've got a scavenger hunt to go on._


End file.
